Haverfordwest, which sent Richard Howell to parliament as its first member in 1547 was abolished in 1885. Breconshire, first established in 1542, was wiped from the map in 1918.

The Caernarfonshire constituency of Eifion existed from 1886 to 1918.

From 1918 to 1950 there was the standalone constituency of Merthyr. The seats of Aberdare and Pontypool were founded at the same time and wound up in 1983.

Barry also had its own seat from 1950 to 1983.

The latest reduction in seats is part of the UK Government’s drive to equalise the population sizes of constituencies and marks a major change in the approach to Wales.

According to the House of Commons Library, “representation for Wales was set at the 1944 Speaker’s Conference as a minimum of 35.”

Pressure to reduce the influence of Welsh MPs has intensified as a result of the creation of the Assembly in 1999 (40 of whose 60 members are elected using the Westminster boundaries which have been in place since 1997).

The creation of the more powerful Scottish Parliament in 1999 resulted in a major reduction in the number of Scotland’s MPs. Numbers fell from 72 to 59, and are due to be cut again to 52.

Turnout in Welsh general elections has slumped from 84.8% in February 1950 to 64.9% in May 2010.